Leave nothing to chance, and there is no hope. Leave not a dream and there is
no joy. There is life in dreams, and dreams in wine. A pence is only a trifle
lost with time. But fortunes are spent and treasures are kept; there are
greater differences, and there are not--with time.

-0-

Cantos

(Cate Espener 03-04)

As you have measured out your life in coffee spoons

So I have measured mine in afternoons

And asking why, why can’t the clock ascend

I pose a question

Must it bend and coil and turn eternally

Circumscribed, plotting, pointing

An empty cup of bitter leaves

Love’s fortune in tatters

Now the city stinks of chemistry

And honey bees drenched in oil

So play me a tune on your old car radio

Cantaloupe, when sliced on Sunday

Is a ritual pleasure

With music in the early morning hours

And a semblance of bed

The sun swerving down across my head

The luxurious smell of coffee grinds and

Mixtures of cheese and wine and biscuits

In the afternoon

Soon it will be spring

So play me some jazz and Beethoven

At the same time

The scent of money disturbs this sordid hour

(the rent is due)

Will I make the rent?

Yes sir, no sir

I think, small wonder, that a penny saved

Is a penny earned

What infidel has sapped this river dry

A silent smudge to walk beside

Oh me, oh my, oh bank accounts

Over there, in the distance

An iceberg cloud curses the sunset

Makes me think of the time we drove and drove all day

And pointing towards freedom, we fell in love

Let’s not be cross with one another

Time, time, time

The appraiser interferes with the measurement of

My serendipitous point of view

Gardens are constructed on a daily basis

By flower arrangers, not pleased with this disarray

Flowers, arranged row by row

Need to grow undisturbed ­ wild

A wet chrysanthemum sits at my doorstep

Placed there like a pastoral dream

With wet leaves flattened against concrete

by rainwater

They were there yesterday

Like Beethoven’s 9th.

-0-

TOWERS OF LIFE

by Margaret Peirson

Her statue grounded

now comes alive

as she turns to see

the smoldering sight

which once held

the towers of life

She bows her head

in sadness and tears

and vows that we will

not live in fear

Then slowly she raises

her torch above

and with all her strength

with all her might, cries

We will be strong!

We will go on!

for freedom will never die

-0-

For years I have yearned to find peace inside;

to end this battle of emotions I've always tried to hide.

I try to make the people around me laugh and smile;

in hopes of subsiding their battle if only for a while.

Is there peace in this world, or is it meant to be this way;

is this just our tests leading us to the lord one day?

If so, will we make the right choices to get us through his gates;

or will we doom ourselves to something worse than this world's fate?

I feel that the sin of the world is poisoning my soul;

and I don't understand how to cleanse it or make my life whole.

There have been so many times I've given into temptation;

only increasing my chances of an eternal damnation.

I only pray lord that you will help me find you;

please send an angel to guide me in everything that I do...

Aaron Jones

-0-

WHAT I FEEL AND WHAT GOES ON IN MY MIND

By AnDreA HuRtAdO

i had a bad day and i knoe everything gonna turn out to be ok every think
happens for a reason but i still ask why..some people can't handle it and
wished they would just die..

i try to ignore all the unhappyness that i go through but all i can seem to
think about is all the lies and the truths can i just act and pretend that i'm
happy not to seem to care if my hair is nappy

walk out and look at the sky wondering to myself when i'm gonna die...not like
i want to any time soon...juss wondering when it's gonna be the last
time i see the moon..

THE WEAPONS, OF LOVE, ARE SHARP, BEYOND COMPARE: LOOK, BUT DON’T
TOUCH, TAKE CAUTION, BEWARE!!!

WHAT IS LOVE?

THE PIERCING, OF THE HEART AND BLINDING, OF THE SOUL.

THE AGELESS, CONSEQUENCES OF LOVE, HAVE NEVER BEEN, FULLY TOLD.

YOU ESCAPE, WITH A SCAR, ON YOUR HEART, THIS TIME, LOVE, IS SEARCHING, FOR
MORE, PUTTING YOUR ALL, ON THE LINE!!!

WHAT IS LOVE?

FOR LACK, OF A BETTER WORD, YOU SEE, LOVE, IS TAKEN FOR GRANTED, VERY EASILY.

LOVE, IS BEING PUSHED TO THE SIDE, ALONE AND UNWANTED, REKINDLED, ENCOURAGED,
TO LOVE ON AND THEN TAUNTED!

WHAT IS LOVE?

LOVE, IS A FOUR LETTER WORD, WE USE, IN ANY CONTENT,

TO KEEP GOING THROUGHOUT LIFE PROCLAIMING, “I LOVE YOU, NEXT!!!”

-0-

Could it be a coincidence,

When an angel sheds a feather,

We join our hands together,

Is it simply nonsense,

When we ask for a sign,

That our paths intertwine,

Handled carelessly the romance of the poet's heart,

Overflowing, Never knowing where to end or start

You have moved me to fashion for you a hall,

With your name written differently on every wall,

You are legend, I am the chronicler of your immanence

Even when I die, Ever will I be held on high

Never to be forgotten in history or all existence

Could it be coincidence,

That the last laugh is ours,

Dancing in Elysium's flowers

Is it simply nonsense,

When we never speak a word but the people are inspired,

By a nameless union where two souls quietly conspired

Adam Thrush

-0-

Every time that I close my eyes, there I see your beautiful eyes, I think
about the time you were there, I think about the time you cared, You gave
strength when life was hard, You held my hand when I couldn't go on, I used to
be alone, if only I had known, that not every guy is the same that not every
guy is lame, So every day of my life, I thank god that I'm alive, cause
without you, I think I would die.

Gabbee

-0-

LIFE
ANGIE GALLINARES

WHAT IS LIFE? THE GIFT OF LIVING, THE ABILITY TO LOVE AND BE LOVED,

THE ABILITY TO SURVIVE IN A JOURNEY THAT HAS NO DESTINATION.

STEPS YOU TAKE FORWARD WITHOUT LOOKING BACK, NOT REALLY SURE WHERE YOUR GOING
OR WHAT YOUR LEAVING BEHIND. WHO OR WHAT LIES AHEAD, ONLY MEMORIES AND A PAST
WITH NO EXPLANATION. QUESTIONS UNANSWERED, LESSONS YOU LEARNED FEELINGS OF JOY
AND UNBEARABLE PAIN, SUCCESS AND FAILURE, VICTORY AND DEFEAT, NEW BEGINNINGS
AND TRAGIC ENDINGS, HOLDING ON AND LETTING GO, ANOTHER DAY, ANOTHER YEAR,
ANOTHER BREATH, ANOTHER BEAT. ONE HEART THAT CONTROLS YOUR DESTINY, THIS IS
THE KEY THAT YOU'VE LONGED TO FIND, TO OPEN THE DOOR THAT WILL SET YOU FREE,
THE ONLY QUESTION THAT HAS AN ANSWER, THE FINAL CHAPTER TO THIS UNSOLVED
MYSTERY, THE FINAL END OF A NEW BEGINNING, A TIME TO REST FOR ALL ETERNITY, THAT'S
WERE LIVING ENDS AND LIFE REALLY BEGINS, THE ANSWER TO WHAT IS LIFE, CANT BE
FOUND IN THE STEPS YOU TAKE, ITS WHERE THOSE STEPS WILL TAKE YOU, THAT YOU'LL
FIND LIFE AND WHAT IT MEANS.

for an eternity. with him I am free. They came into my house uninvited.

They continued to tell lies. They were excited when my family members

would run around confused. This was a carnival of deadly spiritual

corruptions. They raped my privacy. They ignored my wishes. The

Soul Snatchers were for my soul. inside I felt the spirit move me

to do what God wants me to do. HE wants me to believe in HIM,

and love him. I do. I am not running from trouble. I will refuse

to let the Soul Snatches steal my quiet home away from home. I approached
these women and asked. Why don't you sit with us. We cant continue to let the
Soul Snatchers control us. We are spiritual warriors. we are God's Son's and
daughter. Peace!

-0-

No Longer Friends

Ecaterina

I once had a friend who meant everything to me,

By my side, when I was sad, is where she'd always be.

She was my childhood friend,

Who I thought, would be there till the end.

But I guess I was wrong,

She never really cared all along.

I tried to keep her from harm,

I tried to keep her from danger in this world...

Then I realized, she's no longer a little girl.

But she took the wrong path,

And hung out with the wrong crowd.

Soon I began to no longer be proud.

Of a beautiful friendship...

Then I let go when she treated me like shit.

Now we're no longer friends,

Now she's never there.

She didn't give a shit,

So why should I care?

-0-

World Tobacco Day

Nandlal Kanjibhai Pancholi

No tobacco consumption in any form

Should be made the prevalent norm

And let every country ban tobacco farming

For its effects on health are alarming

Can't we get rid of this carcinogenic

substance When research prove its fatal consequence

Have you seen patient of carcinoma of tongue

Or observed pangs of someone

suffering from cancer of lung?

In every country and clime

smoking in public should be deemed a crime.

Thousands die oftobacco related deaths every year.

And yet we do not prohibit selling of cigarettes

Are our ethico-legal systems out of gear?

The most hazardous of all is passive smoking

Which subjects a nonsmoker to hazardous inhaling

At any cost,We must these innocent victims guard

tobacco harms humanbody's every organ

so Can't we say goodbye to such deadly addiction

-0-

Pain
Jim Blake

Dark gloom of the day cold and rainy chilling the bone

Melancholy memories of days gone by and days to atone

This mood not desperate yet it's whisper calls attention

The haunting silence a reminder of secrets not mentioned

Deep in the cogs of seclusion are memories to be released

Surfacing the grotesque remains of the deceased

Mourn the anguish and pain inflicted the innocent and unknown

Let them know they are cleansed and not alone

The beast in us all must be conquered and slain

Inner child remembering the own emotional pain

Past sins are cleansed hearts renewed

Replacing this deep dark somber mood

-0-

So Blessed
By:Kay Bug

You are my man

You are the one who can carry me home

When I'm falling you are there to catch me

When I'm crying you give me a shoulder to cry on

You cared of me as your sister in christthen cared of me as your
girlfriend

Pushed to believe as we were baptized it the same waters

As 30 seconds from you I was duncked beneath the cleansing flood that
washed away my sin, that I was born agian